The US House of Representatives has passed the “No Censors on Our Shores Act,” which could prohibit foreign government officials from entering the United States if they engage in activities that censor American speech protected by the First Amendment.
The new legislation could include actions such as ordering content removal on social media platforms like X.
The First Amendment guarantees Americans the right to free expression, a protection courts have consistently extended to online speech. Legal experts say the new law reinforces this by deterring foreign entities from imposing restrictions on US platforms.
Free speech is under attack across the globe and the No Censors on Our Shores Act sends a clear signal that America is not going to stand for the censorship of its citizens. Thank you, @RepDarrellIssa, for defending the essential American principle of free speech! pic.twitter.com/Kay3b0N0Mu
— Congressman Michael Baumgartner (@RepBaumgartner) February 26, 2025
In a thread posted on X, the House Judiciary Committee announced, “This morning, the Committee passed [Rep. Darrell Issa’s] ‘No Censors on Our Shores Act’ to block foreign officials who violate American’s First Amendment rights from stepping foot on U.S. soil.”
The Committee elaborated on the rationale behind the legislation, highlighting an incident from April 2024, where Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered several American companies, including X, to suspend or remove over 150 social media accounts—targeting U.S. residents and journalists—or face severe penalties.
When Elon Musk and X refused to comply, Justice de Moraes retaliated by threatening legal action against X’s representative in Brazil, freezing the bank accounts of Musk’s SpaceX, and mandating that Brazil’s telecom agency block access to X until Musk paid a $5 million fine.
Furthermore, just last week, Justice Moraes ordered the suspension of Rumble, a Florida-based video-sharing platform, after it too resisted demands to censor a U.S. journalist.
This morning, the Committee passed @repdarrellissa's No Censors on Our Shores Act to block foreign officials who violate Americans’ First Amendment rights from stepping foot on U.S. soil.
— House Judiciary GOP
Here’s why.(@JudiciaryGOP) February 26, 2025
The threat isn’t limited to Brazil; the European Union has also sought to impose censorship on American discourse. In August 2024, Thierry Breton, a high-ranking EU official, warned Musk of potential regulatory actions under the EU’s Digital Services Act unless he sufficiently censored an upcoming interview with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.
Furthermore, the act could directly affect Australia’s US-born eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant and her staff if they enforce measures like Australia’s proposed Misinformation and Disinformation Bill against U.S.-based social media companies.
Australia’s Online Safety Act has previously been used to compel global platforms to remove content, including that of American users and media. The legislation follows escalating tensions between X Corp, led by Elon Musk, and Grant, as well as Europe’s ongoing push to restrict free speech.
Libertarian candidate and former Australian MP Craig Kelly praised the move, declaring it spells the end for “eSafety Karen and her merry band of censors.”
GOD BLESS AMERICA : IT’S OVER FOR eSAFETY KAREN and HER MERRY BAND OF CENSORS
— Craig Kelly (@craigkellyXXX) February 27, 2025
It was only a few months ago, with the Mis & Disinformation Bill before the Australian Senate, that eSafety Karen’s dreams of being a global censor of the internet, and with the power to hit X with… pic.twitter.com/khTfJ6725l
In an X post, Kelly wrote that the act dashes Grant’s “dreams of being a global censor,” noting that any Australian official attempting to fine X or demand post takedowns could face a U.S. travel ban.
He suggested the law might even extend to Australian lawmakers who backed hate speech legislation, as well as complicate eSafety’s push for age verification on U.S. platforms.
